February 28, 2002

To: General Authorities; Area Authority Seventies; Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents

Dear Brethren:

The Bishop's Responsibility for Ward Missionary Work

As the presiding high priest, the bishop is responsible for the work of sharing the gospel, retention, and reactivation within the ward. The work of the full-time missionaries is, of course, under the direction of the mission president. However, experience has demonstrated that missionary efforts are most effective when members work with missionaries in finding investigators. Accordingly, the following changes are to be made on the stake and ward level:

• The stake mission presidency and secretary are to be released.
• The stake presidency should assign a high councilor to work under its direction to promote missionary and retention work in the various wards of the stake.
• Those called to serve as missionaries in the ward will be referred to as ward missionaries rather than stake missionaries. They need not be many in number.
• The callings of ward mission leader and ward missionary will now be ward callings under the direction of the bishop, rather than stake callings.

With the bishop overseeing the development of investigators as well as the retention of converts, the effort of the full-time missionaries, ward missionaries, and ward officers and teachers can be coordinated in the ward priesthood executive committee and the ward council. This effort includes finding, teaching, fellowshipping, baptizing, confirming, ordaining, home teaching, retaining, and reactivating. The ward mission leader will work with the bishop in directing this effort and will hold regular correlation meetings with the full-time missionaries.

We are confident this modified approach will advance the effectiveness of conversion and retention efforts.

Sincerely yours,

Gordon B. Hinckley
Thomas S. Monson
James E. Faust

The First Presidency